The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-06-23
.rHA PREsUNIIN' yILLUN.

Up At the hall was general commo-
ton. Mr.. Wesley. the owner Of
Wesley Grange, had come pretty
nearly to the end Of his tether. He
had but lately succeeded to the estate,
and it had come to him very heavily
encumbered and now, with reduced
rents, irregularly paid, he found it
impossible to 90 on. He had. therefore,
determined to spend a couple of years
on the continent, during which time
he hoped that the agricultural depres-
sion would pass away.
The establishment at the hall was
not a large one by any means for a
country bachelor squire, but it was
larger than he could afford to keep up
under existing circumstances. So one
evening he called his servants together
and told them how matters were with,
him, bidding them seek other situations
at once.
His personal servant. Ben higgins,
was not included in the general dis
missal, but was destined to accompany
his master abroad. Ben was one of
those men not unfrcqncntly met with
in this country-a man who could turn
his hand to most things, though he
might not be good at any. The posi-
ton he held At Wesley Grange was a
cross between valet and a game
keeper, but at odd times he had been
known to cook his masters dinner and
make his masters bed. This was
during grousing expedition on the
Welsh hills, but the rumor of it had
travelled to Wesley. Ben was in high
spirits when he was told Of the journey
in store for him.
III teach these foreigners thing
or two." he said to the cook one night.
to which she replied: ..You be very
careful, Mr.. Ben, that they don't teach
you more than you teach Them
Them he cried: ..them teach me-.
Why, could wallop the lot of 'em, if l
wanted to-
Then you mind you don't want to, y
she answered.
'.Why, you knows very well, : con-
tinued Ber, '.that | set your watch
a-going after James, the matchmaker,
had had il month, and couldn't make
nothing Of it; and | stopped the blue
bedroom chimbly smoking, when the
smoke had nearly druy you all out O
the place"
Rubbish she said. The watcl
only wanted winding; and as for the
chimbly, it smoked because there wa.
bag OF straw in it. You needn',
crow over them things, young man."
Yes, there was little ill-feeling OF
the part of the cook toward Ben. Shs
had claimed him for her own originally
but Ben had fought shy; and latterlv h,
had been paying good deal Of atten
ton to Anna, the housemaid at tn.
rectory. Either fault alone, on Ben.
part, would have made the cook some
what aggrieyed toward him, but tn,
two combined We're more than culinar,
flesh and blood could stand. Thus i
happened that her tongue had Al
access of accrbity when moving at Ben
Down ut the rectory the commotiol
was nearly as general. The servant
discussed the situation from mornin.
till night, and Anna received many un
pleasant jeers."
''Stick to you!" said the coachman
mot he. Them sort never sticks t.
nothing but their baccy, When 20,
says good-by to Ben, you says good-b,
for ever. my lass
HE can please himself" she said
'.but if he thinks l shall die broken
hearted because he takes OH with som,
foreign girl, he's very much mistook.
.'That's always the way with 70,
women-folk. You talks rs big as big
and when it comes to, you doubles u
to nothing. There was that gal o Sim
mond's-her as kept company will
that keeper fellow. Look how he
brazened it out when they found he't
left a wife in Wales, and her died O
consumption in less than year.
.'But Ben and mes different" sal.
Anna. IF he's not in earnest, n.
more aren't t. which was, perhaps
consolatory.
The time slipped rapidly by. and i
wanted but day till Ben and his mas
ter should start for the continent. Tha
night Ben repaired to the rectory, an.
had parting interview with Anna
His last words were: You'll not for
get me, Anna, while am parted from
you? I'm a-coning back for YOU SOM
day. Till then, no river
It'll what?"
That's bit of French. my dear. ",
bin learning the langwidge lately. It.
something like .good-by. only more SO
Ho river and SO they parted,
In the course of few weeks Ben an,
his master were comfortably settled il
u small German village near Bonn
The house where they had made thei
home was an old farmhouse that ha
once. belonged to noble family, bu
was now partly fallen to decay. 1t wa
inhabited by the present owner, VIII
carried on the business Of small farm
er and wine grower. He had neithe
wife nor child. the domestic function
being superintendent, and in a grea
measureperformed by sister Natura
~, therefore, it came about that Ben an
Fraulein Schmidt were often in eac
others company, and, naturally ais,
Ben improved the occasion. If tn
Fraulein, with womanly curiosity, aske
about the Herr Wesley, Ben was car.
full to explain to her that Herr Westle
was q great baron at home DWELLING. i